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Adam's Notes On The First Adventure
7 years since the fall of Caldefor, we've continued the fight. This involved stealth and perhaps less straightforward techniques than the army when the Dhoyles broke through the energy line maintained by the Hastur Tarkenia, just north and east of the lands of Caldefor Just recently, the forces of shadow broke through the shadowline, but with the help of the Hasturs, the Tarkenians drove them back across the line, with much loss of life. We saw one of the Hasturs showering needfire on the fleeing demons. Buzz-Alisa (living xeph) Spring-Max (ghost xeph) Konrad Jagger- me Twang- Genny (male kobold) Toby McGillicutty- Kevin (human, musketeer of Whimsey) Kenshir- Seppi (human male samurai)-retainer in Gerda's house, her bodyguard and chaperone Lady Gerda von Hollinghoff- Becky (ghost female human) Silorean Leafbower- Randy (male elf ghost) Stumm - Bob (human male, black armor) Durak - Jonathan (male, taken in as an assistant to the Hasturs, ghost) Ulrich Lars - Sarah (young human male) After the Hastur announced that the shadow creatures are safely away from the shadowline, a small flying ship flies away west. Continuous raiding back and forth, tunnelling under the shadowline, raiders breaking through the wall, fluctuations of the shadowline back and forth Caldefor was surrounded on three sides by shadow for millenia before it fell. It was more mountainous, less fertile, and smaller population than similar countries. The Grand Count is still in charge of Caldefor; not clear whether he's living or dead. His wife and daughter are still alive, but his young male heir escaped and is now 16. The older male heir was killed by the Count and Countess. At least one and possibly two of the cities have been invested with substantial populations of goblyns and eums. (Six mighty humans aided Borsh'tro's rise. They became demon lords and each got a plane of the abyss near the prime. They are Gnnnsst, dragonlord, the father of the black dragons, the most reasonable; also with many half-dragon servants; and the other similar figures. All but Gnnsst were originally full humans; Gnnsst was a half-dragon. Each was permitted to create a race of eums to serve them on the prime. Yellow eums (most hated among PCs), green eums, black eums (Gnnsst's), red, orange, and white. They are all over the shadowlands. They survive on very little food; some food comes from the jungles behind the shadowlands, some from sentient creatures, and from food where the top 20 planes of the Abyss overlap the Shadowlands (all of the Shadowlands except Caldefor, which is too newly taken to have an overlap), and some food from illicit trade with merchants on the other side of the shadowline.) The Ebon Maw, a Count of the Abyss, has been killed recently. He was the Mother of the Doyles, and there is currently a bloody succession war going on; no more Doyles can be created until the war is won and a new Count arises (probably not for another hundred years). There are 6 great Doyles, giant worms of negative energy, and less than half a dozen young ones. The Tottenheim, the greatest Doyle by far, was key in the fall of Caldefor and the failed assault on Tarkenia. Our commander Hedwig von Brief (NPC), is a 3rd lieutenant (and inexplicably male). Stumm has been on the far side for about 3 years. Starts reporting, counts undead, and shuts up. Hedwig welcomes Stumm back. Several senior officers approach. "That one should be put in skins, soon" he says about Stumm. Dwarf wizard wants to finance an expedition into Caldefor. Carrying a huge staff, with a few companions. "Good morning, my name is Lankman," says the wizard. "Goo," says the staff. Heard a rumor that one of the fallen Hastur towers; the former Circle Greenfield, still has an intact matrix screen. Find out what's living there, what's near there, what's guarding it; not expecting us to bring it out. On the far side of Caldefor, 14 days ride away. Will meet us at Circle Woebegone. Buzz and Konrad fetch the skin from Tower Watershore; 10 gallon cask von Brief appoints Silorean as Sergeant and second in command, and Stumm as Sergeant-Chaplain, with the same rank but a different role We cross into shadow Occasional small white plant with red berries, no other vegetation in a land of dust. No encounters for the 1st day. Wacky encounter in the middle of the night. 5 figures, mounted on nightmares, gallop towards us; 4 wear partial plate, 1 wearing full plate with embedded crystals (death knights, probably with a member of the Count of Caldefor's court) Greeted us in the name of Urlodo and the Count of Caldefor; only participated in the attack because Gnnsst forced them to. Ordered us to return to the nearest fortifications, where a black dragon assumed command No encounters next day, encounter first watch next night: yellow eum attack by grabbing from out of the ground at Silorean; four fout tall, with mangy dirty yellow fur and a belt, vestigial tail 3rd day: midday encounter: a spirit asks Spring where he found such a "plump" group, and asks if he's taking them to the dragon or the Spider Mistress in the fortifications; spirit going to scout the border on behalf of one of the great death knights; Spring says taking them as a gift to the dragon 4th day: midday a group of 4 emaciated humans, with spears and partial armor; "we come from the trueborn encampment, we bring word to the dragon, of our conditions. We are loyal." The great monk that serves the Count has come forth from her lair to assume command of one of the fortifications. True born are a tribe of pure blood humans (one of three kept by the lords of the Shadowlands; they are the largest, and are in Caldefor). Somewhat more than slaves, but weak and low. That night: Small group marching, but not on a collision course. Taller eum, slightly reptilian, above ground, almost draconian. Black eums, the most advanced force in Shadow practically. 5th day: A voice starts taunting Stumm; he's the only one truly loyal to Caldefor, taunts him, and costs some sanity That night: "To Tarama of the Quenching Flame... mistress of all you survey... oh... visitors. Do you wish to join the ceremony?" No... "Which of the Six do you serve?" Gnnst. He's ready to sacrifice a five-year-old boy; Spring distracted him, and then Stumm attacked, and then the priest gets hacked to pieces, and then chewed on by a lemure; Quickstep is the boy's name. Find a magic ring on the corpse; ultimately taken by Sergeant Silorean, who then gave it to Spring, who gave it to Buzz 6th day: Twang bound Snaggletooth, a quasit, and then convinced the PCs that she had told it to go away no encounters until day 11 morning: Another group of 5 black eums; informs us of maneuvers ahead, where troops have been brought in to strengthen the line: probing attacks have been launched along the line, at least 2 dozen probing attacks night 12 encounter: 1 flying figure directly above us, circling and watching; 20 questions with Quickstep gets that its a chasme, a fly demon encounter on day 14: a trio of enormous but not fat rats, followed by two excitingly large ratmen (10' tall), and behind them a single human-sized ratman, wearing brown and green, with a group of tools hanging out of his belt; go straight to the intake point, report to the tanarri that's in charge Pretty clear the encampments are surrounding the tower that we're going to. Twang sends her familiar forward to scout; 2-3,000 soldiers around the tower, but not guarding it; just camped so they can move out. There's a way to sneak all the way to the tower without encountering a lot of troops. xp: 1150 + 115 --- Sunday session: Matthew-- Siggus (human male rogue) me-- Konrad Seppi-Kenshir (refitted as a monk-ranger) Becky- Lady Gerda Randy- Cilorean Jonathan- Durak Two vrock fly out of the enemy encampment, and head north, while we prep a scouting group. No army encamped to the south of the tower (at all). Some of the buildings in the village are occupied. However, the area to the south of the tower is Deep Shadow (i.e. beyond the old shadowline, where the Abyss overlaps with the prime). Siggus, Kenshir, and Gerda sneak around the army to the entrance to the tower, where the gate was forced open. There is a musky odor to the tower, suggesting to Kenshir that there is an animal inside. Vague sense of air movement. The doors to the kitchens were broken down. Doors down from the kitchen. Stairs up. They head up the stairs, and a wild cat with tentacles suddenly bars their way. Siggus greets the cat, saying "nice cat" in Shadowspeak and Abyssal, and it psionic blasts the scouts and attacks. Kenshir pins the cat while the others attack, and it finally dissolves into a cloud of crystalline dust. The inside of the tower suddenly lights up. The group starts running out, but a grate dropped down across the front door. "Creatures of shadow. Though my masters are long gone, I know your tongue." "Really sorry. Not a creature of shadow. Just wrong about the cat." Says Siggus. "Sorry we killed it. It kind of attacked us." -- Kenshir. "Advance to the chamber of the Specularum. We wish to perceive you." The rest of us see a spider web of lines of light up the tower. And the entire army begins moving away. They advance into a chamber at the top, where a giant speculum faces what used to be the shadowline. A huge array of crystals are in front of the speculum. "We are the matrix here. We still hold the tower. All lands about it have been lost. The creatures of shadow surround us." "We still fight for Caldefor and help is coming." "With the Gifted here, I could draw on the reservoir of power and we could use the tower's weapons to destroy the rabble that surround this area and preserve an area for the light. And then I could remain safe until help could arrive. Or perhaps you could move me. We would need a wagon." "We have a wagon!" The tower turns them invisible, they come back to the group; Gerda goes back to the tower underground (yay intangibility!) and arranges for it to make Cilorean invisible a quarter-mile away (in the middle of the army) so he can approach and operate the matrix. She returns, and then comes back with Cilorean. A voice identifies itself as the commander of the second unit. It orders them (along with a glabrezou) to investigate the tower and why it has activated. They travel along towards the tower until they're close enough and the tower turns them invisible, leading the glabrezou to assume they've been destroyed. Cilorean goes to the Specularum to activate its weaponry. It sends an energy blast through Cilorean that walks its way from the right side of the army across to the left. Nearly a quarter of the enemy escaped fleeing (scattering from the left). The rest were destroyed. Cilorean is unconscious and tossed around, but still not (more) dead at the end of that. When we move the matrix to the wagon, it breaks the connection to the reservoir and it pours out to the land, which blooms again. There is a stock of clingfire, which we load on my warhorse and lead it 100 feet behind us. No encounters until 2nd night of travel away: Many black eum marched past. No real encounter. 4th night: A skeletal figure (serving Tarama) on a skeletal wyvern asks us about the tower incident. We tell it that the army has been destroyed, but that if an army is dispatched quickly, it could destroy the tower quickly. It tells Konrad and Gerda that it will remember and reward them. 5th day encounter: Rain of acid directly in front of forward scout and roaring above it. Black dragon fighting a bronze. The bronze is a wyrm level dragon, and will clearly win. Help the bronze on its death flight, using matrix to heal the bronze. We also summon some things to flank the black dragon, and it dies. We give the bronze the clingfire, and tell it about the black dragon fortress commander so it can bomb it and then attack. Next encounter midday, day 9: My horse bolts from the rear. Four skeletal wolves running to attack. Extended battle, trying to save the cart horse. Buzz and Twang join the party. Twang sends away the quasit, deciding that the party might kill him if they figure out it was there. Night 9: a starved prairie dog approaches. Gerda wants to give it to the spunky kid, but Twang magic missiles it and eats it raw. Morning of day 11: we see a pillar of smoke to the northeast, where the fortress was. Encounter night 11: Another 5 damn skeletal wolves. Somebody notices when Konrad summons a lemure. A succubus. Konrad misidentifies it as an Erinyes, and when it challenges him, presents it his license and offers to serve it in any way, respectfully. It thanks him, and lets them go, saying that it will contact him shortly. Encounter at the end of day 14, basically within sight of the shadowline: a mounted force angles to intercept us just before the shadowline. Eight horsemen with an officer. The banner has a rayed sun on it (Glor'diadel). They have a prisoner. Spring greets them, and tells them that we're allies, and they warn us to hurry to the shadowland-- a large party of black eum in pursuit. They guard the cart. Spring sees about 120 black eums running after us. They are slowly closing but we slip across the border before they arrive, and an elven maiden teleports in above the line to defend. And we arrive at Circle Woebegone, and they reverently move the matrix in. XP 2116 Category:Caldefor